MORGANTOWN – In three local state Senate races, only one features a primary election race. Two feature Senate committee chairs. And two will essentially be decided in the primary, set for May 14.
This is a look at campaign finances for the 2nd, 13th and 14th Senate districts, from the candidates’ First Quarter reports, covering the period of Jan. 1-March 31. Their next reports, the Primary Report, will cover April 1-28 and are due May 3.
2nd District
The 2nd District covers all of three counties and parts of three others, including western and northern Monongalia and western Marion.
Incumbent Health Committee chair Mike Maroney, of Glen Dale, faces a primary challenger in Chris Rose, of Maidsville, who switched last August from running for U.S. Senate to state Senate.
Maroney has been spending significantly to fend off his challenger. He opened the period with $86,660.04 in his campaign account and received $23,100 in contributions from individuals and PACs.
He spent $81,261.55, leaving a balance of $28,498.49 heading into April. His year-to-date totals were $210,119.44 raised and $1,164,255.23 spent.
Rose opened far behind, with $15,014.96. He raised $20,109.54 in individual contributions, plus $3,009.12 in-kind from himself.
He spent just $3,851.45, leaving a balance slightly higher than Maroney’s, at $31,273.05. His year-to-date totals were $45,132 raised and $6,521.36 spent.
13th District
The 13th District is comparatively tiny in territory, running along the populous Mon-Marion I-79 corridor.
Democratic Marion County Delegate Joey Garcia is unchallenged in the primary and has no opposition at this point in the general. Republican candidate Jonathan Board, of Fairmont, suspended his campaign in March after he was named executive director of the West Virginia First Foundation, which is overseeing the distribution of opioid suit settlement money.
Garcia opened with $81,719.75 and raised $19,216.12 in contributions from individuals and PACs. He also received $3,000 in transfers from two former Democratic candidates’ accounts.
Garcia spent $5,262.95, leaving a balance of $98,672.92. His year-to-date totals were $113,076.12 raised and $14,403.20 spent.
Because Board was a candidate during the period, he also filed a report. He opened with $74,630.75, but raised only $1,250, plus $17.87 in interest income.
He spent $5,727.06, leaving a balance of $70,17.56. His year-to-date totals were $86,020.64 raised and $15,385.17 spent. He also reported $650 in an unpaid bill.
14th District
The 14th District covers all of five counties, including Preston, and the eastern half of Taylor.
Senate Energy, Industry and Mining chair Randy Smith, R-Tucker, is unchallenged in the primary and will face Mountain Party candidate Betsy Orndoff-Sayers, of Wardensville. No Democrat has filed to run.
Smith opened with $61,533.78 and received $7,550 from individuals and PACs. He spent $13,706.84, leaving a balance of $55,376.94.
His year-to-date totals were $157,518.77 raised and $102,141.83 spent.
Orndoff-Sayers is running on a comparative shoestring. She began her campaign with a $0 balance and received $480.45: $230.45 from herself to her campaign and $250 from the progressive WV Can’t Wait PAC.
She spent $230.45, leaving a balance of $250.
Email: dbeard@dominionpost.com
